This is a very interesting tea with many layers. The dry leaf smells like seaweed! Brewed, it still has that seaweed scent, but mixed with roasted grains, sesame and buckwheat. The taste is a kind of dark grass or faint seaweed paired with that roasted flavor. The end of the sip is mostly an astringent note that somehow turns into a wood flavor, similar to rooibos, but much more robust. I love rooibos and its woody flavor, but when it’s paired with a roasted note, I’m not really a fan. This cup is drinkable, but a bit too dark and roasty for me.

If you’re a fan of green/roasted oolongs, I’d be happy to trade the rest of the tea!

My Rather Picky Ratings90+ – Reserved for the very best! Always in the cupboard!80-89 – Quite good! A very pleasing cup.70-79 – Room for improvement, but not bad. 60-69 – Mediocre.50-59 – Bad. Will not purchase. 49 & below – Depending on the more specific rating: Undrinkable. Yuck. Will not purchase.

Note: Teas in my cupboard are all of the teas that I’ve logged, regardless of their current presence in my actual cupboard. For an updated list on what teas I have available for swap, check out the swap thread and not my cupboard! Thanks!